Automatic stoker



H. G. LEE. AUTOMATIC STOKER. APPLICATION FILED- MAY :4. 1917.

latmted July 29, 1919.

.lafonted July 29, 1919.

5 SHEETS SHEET 2.

I i 3 1 4 v \E l 1. a m' ll i a "3 \l Q, .i T A W V Li 0; A

Zlmvwtom H. 5. LEE.

AUTOMATIC STOKER. APPLICATlON FILED MAY 14. I913.

1,3 1 1,524. Putvntcd July 29, 191%).

5 SHEETS--SHEEI' 3.

avwentoz H. (3. LEE. AUTOMATIC STOKER. APPLICATION FI'LED MAYI4. I917.

I Svvuentoz 65 6'. Z

lutvntvd July 29, 1919. 5 SHEETb SHrET 4 neuron s'rns mm cur os.

335.8133? (3. LEE, F TACOMA, WA$HENGTON, ASSIGNQR- OLE (ENE-HALF .TOARTHUR G.

PBICHABID, GE TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

AUTOMATIC STOKEE.

Speeifleation of Letters Patent.

Patented J n13 2:9, 1%19.

Application fllecl May 1%, 1S1? Serial No. 168,335.

fo all whom it may, concern lie it known that I, HARRY G. LEE, a citizenof the United States, residing at Tacoma, inthe county or". Pierce,State of JV-ash" igton, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Automatic Stokers, is which the following is uspecification.

This invention relates to devices for con- !liUl1S.lj; supplying thefire box-of a boiler all fuel and has for its objects to pronieuns forpreparing the fuel for the i separating unsuitable substances the fuel;for conveying the fuelto box; for distributing it evenly on re bed; andfor preventing the clogging of the fuel in the hopper and passages. 13.further object is to provide mechanism slay the action of the parts 0%the maie ccl'rdinated to insure the best reattsin there and otherobjects by the ole :cs inechariisrns and arrangements illusin. theaccompanying drawings, in

, :re 1 is side elevation of my inimecnine, portion being broken toreveal the interior thereof;

Fig. 93 21 plan thereof, partly in sece vertical cross-section of the avertical longitudinal section fuel hopper;

r 1g. 18 e plan of it part (it the screen;

255 Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of part of the hopper andthe opportions of the machine;

is a plan showing the fuel deflector; .1 1;; 8 is an enlargedlongitudinal secsfi igion. of the lower part of the hopper and the Z. cme ha er iii? ' valve and coal valve are coordinated; adeilector withinthe furnace and adapted to cause succ 've blasts of coal to-reachdifferent portions of the fire bed; and power means whereby themechanisms are operated.

Referring to the drawings, the coal is delivered to the main hopper 1which has the usual inclined bottom leading to an outlet hole 2connecting the hopper to the coal crushing box or chute 3.. A pairoflarge crushing rolls sl urc mounted immediately below the outlet '2 andwithin the crushing chute 3 and are rotated so that their adjacent facesmove downward. One of these rolls -l is mounted in sliding bearingblocks 5, said blocks being pressed toward the other roll 4 by asuitable spring 6, so that if a hard rock is mixed in the coal it willpass the said pair of rolls 4 by forcing the roll having sliding bearingblocks 5 away from the other roll and against the action of the springs6 thereof. A second pair of rolls i' are similarly mounted iii-the box 3immediately below the rolls i and are rotated in the same direction assaid rolls-i, the second pair 7 being of somewhat smaller dimuctcr thanthe first pair l. A third pair of rolls 8, again of smaller diameterthan said rolls 7 are iil'llllttlly mounted in the box 3 immediatelybelow the said second rolls 7 and are rotated in the same direction. Therolls 4, 7 and 8 are preferably corrugated so as to have a crushingaction on the coal passing between them. It is evident that coal fedfrom the hopper 1 will pass through the opening 2 and will be crushedbetween the successive pairs of rolls to the required degree of finenessand that hard rock will pass the rolls without being broken to the sameextent. luunecliately below the lowest pair of rolls 8 I have mounted aninclined screen consisting of pzu'wliel bars 9, preferably of circularcrosssect n, and spaced such distance apart as to permit the crushedcoal to pass betweenroll and with the moving coal. The bell? ing 12connects to the upper roll and this roll drives the roll 7 by means of asprocket chain 13, and the roll '2' drives the roll 8 by means of asecond sprocket chain 3.4.

That portion of the box 3 below the level cf the screen bars 9 is formedinto one 02 more Smell hoppers each having eon erging sides and iinerrcw opening 16 in the bottmn. r A coal delivery pi'tie I? is mountedhopper 15 and below the Opening 16 iii cac i has a slot 1.8 its uppersurface t0 permit the ceal from the hopper" to all intc the interior ofthe pipe. A sleeve -19 surrounds the said pipe 1'! and eiides thereen,said sleeve having a run-responding slot 20 in i. upper surface topermit the passage there threngh of the said cezil passing from thehopper-i5 to the interior When the sleeve 19 is 8) it closes theconnection between the 'lio pper and the pipe by closing the slot 18 inthe pipe and when it is pushed to the right it opens such cemmimicationbecause the slot 2( then lies directly over the slot 18 in the pipe. Thesleeve tl'ierefcre farms :1 60911 valve. c

That portien '21 of the interior 0: the pipe 17 immedietely belmv theslat i8 is made with diverging sides; or of increasing diameter, su asbe form a coal cavity or chamber of suchfslmpe as to prevent theclogging of the ace therein; An air com presser keeps 2 tank 23cl'izirgeii with under the desired pressure and a pipe 23% leadstiierefrcm ht: the air valvefZ-fi. A pipe 526 leedsirem the air valve tothe coal. delivery pipe-17, and this pipe 1? leads into the furnace. Thevalve 25 is suddenly opened by a earn, as hereinafter described, andpermits the air. under high pressure to pass to the {vipe 17 and, sinceat this time the chamber-21k: full of coal and the ceel valve isole-seal, the blast of air drives the coal from the chamber 521 into thefurnace.

' The engine 11' else runs a suitably mounted centrel shaft 27, bvmeefisif belting 28 and this shaft is provi ed with e crank 29 and :1cam 30 for each ccal delivery pipe 17. The crank 29 is connected to thesleeve 19 by the connecting rod 31 and reeiprocates it to open and closethe coal valve, as above described. The cam 30 is shaped and positionedto engage the valve spindle 320i the air valve 25 z1-nd to raise thevalve disk 33 suddenly from the valve seat and thus to cease s. surldenlflnst of coz pressed air to pass in the coal delivery pipe 17. Aspring 34 engages the disk 33 to insure its being closed et all timeswhen the cam does not engage the s'oindle. The/relative ositions of thecrank 29 and the cam 30 are such that when the coal valve is open toadmit coal into the chamber 21 of closed end so that when. the

air valve of the pipe pushed to the left (Fig;

late 36 b it reel $3 an that as ever the same. The plate 3%, is movedthe pipe 17 the 8,131 valve 251s open to blast the coal into the furnacethe coal valve is closed to prevent the air from pas ing cut of the slot.38 thereof.

in order to prevent the coal in smell hoppers 15 from urchin; 2k("(H ithe open' and thus step the feeding of ihe coal device, I attach '24[Oil 15 to the sleeve sairl rod passing 'ljlircuga'ls '21 link? in t ecf the hcppcl 15 and moving with the i so that this real Wiil disturbthe coal happer and will break up any tendency t0 arch across theopening 18.

Himmler to prevent the blast of coal. from always falling on thet-zlliit? portion of the fire bed I meant e iicilcctcr plate 3i; withinthe furnace and adjacent the orifice 0f the coal delivery pipe 17, saidpixie 36 being meimted hr) 12 herizenlzi vet :iml being" mijiistahljvheld in line wiih the irin'sr so that the semi in the blast islifi'fltlliil tr-any its hernia course to greater mlcss extent cardingt0 the adjustment 0f the said plate 36. 7 he adjust-merit cl this plate36 is eccmiiplisherl zintriiimticellj-i anal intermittently by thefollowing mechanism: A ratchet wheel 3'? is remit-ably mmmtml helmthesleeve 15 and is held from retatien be. Ward by ii Suitable (leg; 33nwimmi new it and engaging: the teeth. A driving (lfigf 3? is mounted(iii the 18 mail has a teeth 40 adapted to eng a e the 200th oi the whee37 when thesleeve 15) is near the inner m end 0i its strelie. m that weit 5 t0 the saicl end of its stmke it move spending with one tenth. Acrank .gciri is attached to the ratchet wheel and can arm -12 of theiieilcctcr the retci'zet wheel turns it causes the plate 336 if trim onits pivot and presi e .a different angle to the ii'wticn of the coalblaet. A spring 44 is attached to the crank pin 41 and to the frame sothat as the wheel turns it draws the spring 4:? out untii the plat-e 36has reached its point 01 greatest mcvement downward when the spring isstretched t0 nected to the icver its greatest extent and any furthermovie,

inent of the Wheel 37 carries it past the dead center and the springthen immediately turns the whcei through (me-half a revolutinn thusquickly raising the deflector plate 3!; to its highest o starting: pointand ceizsingthe next blast to travel lllllllndmfli to the /fii'{ lDOli.'llnie each successive blast will be deflected more and more and willreach the fire beef nearer and nearer t0 the deer until the extremeposition is reached When'the next hlest will begin the acticn oveagain.This will prevent ove'z'izipping of fuel charges delivered to thefire-lied and will insure uniform iiisiriimi'imi of the fuel ivy the.above described, llltllfililfiili when he blast is passing.

teal

' ing alateral fuel opening, a valve -claim is: 1 v

1. In a mechanicalstoker, a fuel pipe hav slidable on the pipe forclosing the fuel opening thereof and completing the pipe, said pipeforming a straightlbarrelirom the charge receiving P01131011 to itsdischar e end, means tor delivering a fuel feeding last through the pipeat a point in rear of the charge valve for cutting oil the blast andmeans for positively operating the valves in elternation to out all theblast when the fuel feeding tothe pipe and to cut oil the supply or ranto the pipe when the blast .fuel bed, a rotary member,

' tor having thereoflmeans blast through the pipe,

fuel charge from the pipe.

2. Ina mechanical Stoker, a fuel pipe having a lateral fuel opening, avalve slidable an the 'pipe for'closing the fuel opening for deliveringa fuel feeding a valve for cutting ofi the blast, means for positivelyoperating the valves, and a fuel agitator connected with the fuel valveand actuated thereby.

3. In a mechanical stoker, a fuel pipe forming a straight barrel,'msunsfm' holding a supply of fuel communicating with the barrel forsupplying a charge of fuel to' the same, means for closing suchcommunication, and means for introducing an expansive medium intothebarrel in rear of the fuel whereby the charge is instantaneously blowninto the furnace.

4. In a mechanical stolrer, a hopper, a pipe leading to the furnace andhaving a lateral opening to receive fuel from the hopper, a valveslidable on the pipe over the opening thereof, an agitator operable inthe hopper-and connected with the valve, and means for delivering a fuelfeeding blast through the pipe.

:5. In a mechanical Stoker, a movable deflector for distributing thefuel over the connecting means between the rotary member and thedefleccrank connection with the said rotary member for vibrating thedeflector, a ratchet mechanism for advancing the rotary forcing themember, .yieldable means normally tending to move the rotary memberbackward and a detent for preventing backward movement of the rotarymember during its advance to a dead. center position and admitting of aquick forward movement of the rotary memv pipe \is-fi11ed with vcoalwhen the-eoflivalve to her after the same has passed the dead center toreturn the deflector quickly to normal position after it has reached thelimit of its mgevement in one direction;

In a machine of the class described, the combination with a coal hopperhaving an outlet; a coal valve in said outlet; a coal delivery pipehaving an inlet slot connecting with the outlet 'in the hopper wherebythe is opened; a supply of compressed air connected to said coaldeliverypipe and adapted to blow the coal therein out thereof; an air valvecontrolling the blast of air; mechanism connecting the coal valve withthe airvalvewhereby their actions are coordinated whereby the air valveis closed when the coal valve is'open and the coal valveis closed whenthe air valve is open; an adjustable deflector mounted in the line ofthe blast fromthe coal delivery pipe; and mechanism for adjusting saiddeflector into a series of successive positions and connected to andcoordinated with said air valve mechanism whereby said deflector isadjusted when said air valve is closed and whereby successive blasts ofcoal are deflected to dill'erent portions of the furnace. 7. In afurnace stoker, a fuel pipe consisting of a straight barrel having alateral opening, means for holding a supply of fuel communicating withthe opening for supplying a, charge of fuel to the said barrel, aslidable closure mounted on the barrel for closing such communication,and means for introducing an expansive medium into the barrel in rear ofthe fuel whereby the entire charge is instantaneously blown into thefurnace.

8. A mechanical Stoker including a hopper, a fuel discharge pipecommunicating at a point intermediate its ends with the hopper, meansfor closing the discharge pipe barrel at the lateral and the hopper todefine a chargeof fuel within said pipe and to shut off the feed, saidpipe forming a substantially straight barrel fnom the hopper to itsdischarge end, means for introducing fluid pressure holding a supply offuel communicating with the barrel through the lateral opening forsupplying a charge of fuel to the barrel, a sleeve slidably mounted onthe barrel for closing such communication, and means for introducing anexpansive medium into'the barrel in rear of the fuel whereby the entirecharge I is instantaneously blown into the furnace. i

10. A mechanical stoker including a hopper, a r'uel discharge pipeprovided intermediate of its ends wi a lateral inlet cornmunicating withthe hopper, a sleeve mounted von the exterior of the discharge pipe tocover and uncover the said lateral inlet of the discharge pipe, thelatter forming substantially a straight barrel from the hopiper itsdischarge end, a valve fqrintro lug fluid pressure into the pipe in rearof the fluid pressure for discharging the latter,

and nieansfor operating the sleeve and the valve in alternation to cutoil the'fiuid pressure. when the fuel is feeding to the pipe and to cutoil the supply of fuel to the pipe when the fluid pressure is forcingthe fuel charge from the pipe.

1.1. A mechanical Stoker including fuel discharging means, a distributermovable back and forth in the path of the fuel to deh'ect the same todifl'erent portions of a grate, a crank eleinent connected with thedistributer for actuating the same, means for rotating the crank elementto impart a step by step movement to the distributer during one-half ofa revolution ofthe crank element and While the distributor is travelingin one direction and for rapidly movin the crank element during theother ha]? revolution While. the distributor is traveling in theopposite direction to cause a quick return of the distributer lapping ofthe fuel charges. a

12. A. mechanical stoker including fuel dischargin means, a distributormo able back and torth in the path of the fuel to deflect the same todifferent portions of a grate, a crank element connected with thedistributer for actuatin the same, means for rotating-the crank'e einentto impart a step by step movement to the distributor durto prevent.over- 7 ing onc-half-of a revolution of the crank element and while thedistributor is travel ing in one direction, and a spring eccentricallyconnected with the crank element and adapted to be distended during hestep by step movement and arranged to rapidly actuate the crank elementduring the other half revolution and while the distributor is travel ingin the opposite direct-ion to cause a quick return of the distributor toprevent overlapping of fuel charges.

13. A mechanical stoke]: including a fuel discharging means, adistributer movable back and forth in the path of the -fuel to deflectthe same to difierent portions of a grate, a crank element connectedwith the distributor for actuating the same, means comprising a ratchetwheel, a coasting pawl .for rotating the crank step byistep movement tothe distributer during one half of a revolution of the crank element,and While the distributer is traveling in one direction, and a springconnected with the crank element and arranged.

to be distended during; such movement of the said,,crank element andadapted for rapidly moving the same during the other half revolutionwhile the distributer is traveling in the opposite direction to cause aquick return of the distributer to prevent overlapping of the fuelcharges.

HARRY G. LEE,

element to impart a

